Deep Purple could reject Hall Of Fame

Deep Purple’s Roger Glover says even if the band were inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, it’s at least 20 years too late.

And he says if they were voted in, they might not accept and tell the Hall to “forget it.”

The band have been nominated for induction twice in 2013 and 2014, but have yet to make it in, but Glover says he isn’t bothered.

He tells radio show Noize In The Attic: “We’re kind of ambivalent about The Hall Of Fame – we don’t care about it that much. If they do induct us, then they’re at least 20 years too late as far as I’m concerned.

“They should have done it when Jon Lord was still alive when it probably would have had a bit more meaning.

“But if we do get in, and decide to accept it, which is up in the air, we might just say, ‘Forget it.’

“Ian Gillan and I differ slightly. He says Steve Morse has been in the band for 20 years, but I think Ritchie Blackmore deserves to be there. The right thing, if we ever do it, would be to have both of them there.”

Drummer Ian Paice recently said he thinks he’s lost Ritchie Blackmore as a friend, revealing the pair hadn’t spoken in years, while Gillan says he fell out with the guitarist in 1994 because they were both behaving like assholes.

But Glover says not all the feelings surrounding the guitarist’s departure from the band 20 years ago are bad and calls him a “wonderful” character.

He says: “We were friends. Some of the best and worst things happened to me because of Ritchie. He’s a wonderful, wonderful guitarist, writer and character. It’s not all doom and gloom.

“We got on really well for years. I’m happy he’s happy.”

This weekend, frontman Gillan will head to Lyme Regis to take part in a world record attempt, as he sings Smoke On The Water backed by thousands of guitarists as part of Guitars On The Beach – and Glover reveals he still enjoys the track, despite playing it for most of his career.

He continues: “It’s always a slightly different interpretation every night and we know people enjoy it. As guitarist Steve Morse once said, ‘If Smoke On The Water was a button you could press that made the audience go nuts, you’d want to press it.’”

Deep Purple have a new DVD on the way in October titled Around The World Live, which includes three complete live shows and highlights of a fourth, while the band will release the follow-up to 2013’s Now What?! in 2015.

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.